Stopper



Fan. 29 1924. 7 1,482,373

w; M. LATREMORE STOPPER F iled March 16 1922 /WW%%; I

Patented Jan. 2%, i924,

' UNH .11

mane a WE,

WILLIAM M. LATREMORE, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-F TO JAMES H. WALLACE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STOPPER.

Application filed March 16, 1922. Serial No. 544,078.

To all whom it may concern? Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. Ln'rnn- MORE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Sufl'olk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a'n Improvement in Stoppers, of'which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention relates to stoppers for bottles and the like, andmore particularly to such stoppers for use in con unction with fountain pens of the so-called selffilling type.

The modern fountain pens of the self- 7 filling type, as is well known, consist of the usual pen holder, feeder and tip, secured to a barrel of hard rubber or the like, within which barrel is a sac, preferably of soft elas--- tic material, such as rubber. The sac is adapted to be collapsed by various means, ejecting the air therefrom and thereupon, when the tip of the pen is placed in the ink stand, bottle, or the like, and the collapsing pressure is released, the suction resulting from the inflation of the sac draws up sumcient ink from the well to fill the sac. Heretofore the usual and customary method was to place the pen point inthe ink well, collapse the sac and then permit it to inflate, sucking in the ink for filling. The disadvantage of this method was that if the ink well was full, not only the point, but a portion of the holder. is very liable to be inserted in the ink, resultin in soiled hands, getting ink on the outsi e of the holder, necessitating cleaning the pen and holder, and other inconveniences.

Therefore, an important object of my present invention is to provide a specially ormed stopper for ink bottles, ink wells and the like which will actas-an efficient stopper and will also permit a fountain pen of the selffilling type to be filled in a neat, clean, convenient and expeditious manner.

Furthermore, if the ink well or bottle from which it is desired to fill the pen is very nearly empty, the pen point must be dipped to the very bottom of the inkwell, clogging the point and feed of the pen with sediment" usually in the bottom of such inkwell or Kid object of my invention is to provide means WlllCh is simple 1n operation, mexpensive of ceptacle in which it is mit only clean ink to be drawn into the sac of the pen and thus keep the feeding means of the pen clear at all times, facilitate action yofthe pen, and render the use of a fountainpen more satisfactory and desirable than heretofore. I Various attempts have been made to produce an automatic fountain pen filler, but such devices have beenexpensive, tedious of operation, complicated and unsatisfactory in use, and furthermore have not been commercially practicable because of the expense of manufacture and the resulting high cost to the public. Such prior devices have also been required to be closed by a stopper or the like when not in use, in order to prevent dust, dirt, and other foreign substances from entering the ink and polluting the same.

Therefore, an additional and important manufacture, economical, which need never be taken out of the bottle or well or other relaced, requires no additional stopper or c osing means, and which will prevent dust or other substances from coming in contact with the ink, thereby effectually preserving it in normal condition at all times.

Further details of construction, novel oombinations of parts and advantages will be hereinafter more fully pointed out and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsectional view of my novel stopper applied to an ink bottle of conventional t pe; and

Fig. 2 is a ont elevation of. the stopper.

As shown in the drawings, T have illustrated an ink bottle of conventional form at 1, having the usual neck 2 and flanged top portion 3. V

My novel stopper is illustrated generally the neck 3 of the bottle, forming a snug fit therein, and having in addition the flange or collar 6 extending around the stopper to contact withthe top portion of the bottle, if desired, thus further insuring an air-tight and we liquid tight fit.

The top portion of my novel stopper 4: is rounded andlprovided with a downwardly projecting central aperture 7, preferably tapered in form, to receive the end of a 330 lid come in contact with the sides of this sac 15, it will not be injured, because of the softness and resiliency of the same.

The neck portion 5 of'my novel stopper is formed hollow, with an opening through the bottom thereof, as illustrated at 12. Secured to the bottom of the sac 15, by vulcanizing, cementing or any other desirable manner, such as binding thereon by clamping means or the like, is a hollow cylindrical tube'8, preferably of hard rubber, glass or any other desirable material, said tube being adapted to extend through the opening 12 in the bottom of the stopper 4 to a point in the ink bottle or ink well as low as may be desired, preferably just clearing the bottom thereof,..so that the ink from the lowermost portion'of the bottle may be with, drawn, without leaving a suflicient amount of ink in the bottom to coagulate and clog up the tube 8.

It will be appreciated that this tube 8 may be of any length desired, and the same stop-- per can be used on different depths of hot tles or receptacles, b of the tube 8, insertln chan in the length a niw tube, or the like, if desired, as it is not essential that the length of the tube be so changed, except for the advantages as enumerated.

Through theupper portion of the stopper 4,'and preferably just above the flan e 6,

is an aperture of opening 10, adapte tov permit the entry or discharge of air from the interior of the bottle. "Thus, when ink is withdrawn from the bottle 1, a sufiicient quantity of air will enter through the a erture. 10 to equate the removal ofthe ink. Conversel when ink is poured into the bottle throng the opening 7 in; the stopper 4 the air in the bottle will be discharged through the aperture 10 into the outer air, until the desired quantity of ink has been placed in the bottle.

It will also be appreciated that the neck of my novel stopper maybe threaded, for 1nsert1on into a bottle with a threaded neck, if desired. a

The operation of my novel deyice will now be described: The person desiring to fill a fountain pen, inserts the pen into the opening 7 until the barrel of the .pen fits snugly against-the walls of the same, vthe It I will point extending down into the s'ac 15.

sac of the pen is then collapsed, by any means, either by the thumb or finger, or by a plate, lever or the like, with which the pen may be equipped, ejecting the air therewardly through the tube 8 and thence from, whereupon said air will pass downthrough the ink and upwardly out of the opening 12 in the bottom of the stopper and thence through the aperture 10 into the open air. Upon release of the collapsing means.

in the pen, ink will be drawn up through the tube 8, into the sac or barrel of the pen until same is filled, when the pen is merely withdrawn from the stopper, ready for use, with no possibility of soiling the hands, necessity of cleaning the pen, or the like.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a novel, economical, simple, and commer cially practicable combination stopper and fountain pen filler; one that presents a neat appearance and is efficient and expeditious in use.

It will be understood that/while l[ have the receptacle, a top portion having therein a depression adapted to receive a pen to be filled, a resilient non-injurious sac for the reception of the point of the pen to be filled, a downwardly extending tube secured to said sac, and air receiving or dischargingmeans in said stopper to compensate automatically for-the withdrawal or replacement of ink' in said receptacle.

2. A stopper of'the kind described, comprising a hollow'neck portion adapted to form a tight closing fit in the entrance of a receptacle, a top portion having therein a depression adapted to' receive a pen to be filled, a resilient non-injurious sac for the reception of the point of the pen to be filled, a downwardly extending tube secured to said sac, and .air receiving or discharging means in said stopper to compensate automatical-ly forthe withdrawal or replacement of ink in said receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM M. LATREMORE, 

